Treasure
by XxFearTheFluffxX
Summary: Not all treasure is silver and gold. Yuffie would know - treasure is something she prides herself on knowing a great deal about. And Reno... Well, Reno was just going to have to trust her on that one. -RenoxYuffie-


The first time Yuffie saw Reno drunk had been pure coincidence.

Honestly, she probably wouldn't have even known it was him if it hadn't been for the static crackle of his electro-mag rod. In fact, she wouldn't have known anyone was in that alley at all if the woman hadn't screamed when she did. And naturally, once she'd heard the scream, Yuffie hadn't been able to just ignore it – what with the better part of her youth spent protecting people and saving the world and such, it seemed contrary to stop now...

Even if her involvement _had_ been mostly unintentional at first.

Besides what good was being a ninja if you didn't get to flaunt it every now and then?

And so Yuffie had sidled into the darkness, Conformer drawn and ready for action.

On finding the woman cowered in a corner after a very careful, very ninja-like search of the area (if she did say so herself), it hadn't taken long to piece the situation together. The lady – a moderately pretty redhead whose attire left little doubt that she was better off than the average citizen of Edge (which wasn't really saying much, truth be told) – had been mugged... Or had nearly been, in any case, judging by the remains of a handbag and it's various contents scattered around the vicinity.

With her in the alley were two other people, two men. One of the guys was crumpled on the concrete, a limp pile of cloth that Yuffie wasn't entirely sure was alive anymore. Another, cloaked in the shadows of the night, was swaying unsteadily on his feet with what looked like a bat held by his side.

It had been impossible, at that point, to tell whether the heap on the ground was the woman's attacker, or her would-be rescuer.

"Hey, uh... Mister?" Yuffie had called, getting ready to beat on him if he made the slightest threatening move. The guy had staggered a little, but otherwise didn't respond. "Hey, dude? You wanna tell me what's going on?"

She'd heard the static then, that subtle thrum of electricity that she'd heard oh so many times before. There was only one place she'd heard that exact pitch before.

"_Reno_?"

That had been the start of it, she supposed. Yuffie had taken him back to his place (eventually, when his head had cleared enough to remember where it was) and cleaned him up. She'd listened to his story, about how he'd discovered the woman being attacked when he'd stumbled into the alley in a drunken stupor to throw up, and how even through the haze of intoxication he'd known he had to do something. She supposed it was then she'd first realised it. That the Reno she'd known – the one she'd fought tooth and nail against more times than she cared to remember – wasn't all there was to the Turk. It was then she realised there was something more to him, something good. And it was probably then she'd vowed to find that something, more out of curiosity than anything else.

She wasn't stupid.

Yuffie knew everyone saw her as the kid. She was the youngest. She was hyperactive and playful and cheeky and sometimes blatantly rude. She said silly things sometimes, and she did crazy stuff on a regular basis.

But she wasn't stupid.

She hated it when Cloud told her Reno was bad news. She _knew_ that.

She hated it when Cid said he was 'no damn good', because yes, she knew that too.

But she especially hated it when Vincent gave her that look, that disapproving stare, as if to say he was disappointed in her, that he knew she was smarter than she was making herself out to be and it was a personal affront that she was pretending otherwise. Damn it all, she knew she should know better – more than anyone.

But it didn't matter. Nope.

Because Yuffie might know all those things, but she also knew that Reno was something more too.

And someday, she hoped she could prove it. To Cloud, and Cid, and Vincent – with all their overprotective manliness. Tifa too, with her kind, motherly concern. To herself as well, obviously. But most importantly, she wanted to prove it to Reno. She wanted to show the Turk that he was a better man than he thought he was. She wanted to do it because she couldn't stand seeing him torture himself anymore – drinking himself paralytic whenever he wasn't working himself into a stupor... It was just too sad to watch. Sadder still because he didn't even know he was doing it. Maybe it was the after-effects of helping to save the planet (twice), but Yuffie felt sympathy for the redhead's plight – she wanted to free him, to save him from himself. Or maybe she just wanted to see if it was possible to help someone who was as far gone as Reno was. She really couldn't tell.

Maybe it didn't even matter what the reason was.

"Following me again, huh?"

Yuffie didn't flinch. He'd known she was there, and she'd known he'd known the whole time. She wasn't trying to conceal her presence anyway, because it was more fun this way.

"Yep," she quipped, jumping down from the scaffolding to join him on the pavement. It was still pretty light despite the hour – the sun was always slow to give up the fight in summer – and in the evening glow Yuffie could see his irritation in sharp relief on his pale, lightly freckled face. "Thought I'd do my good deed for the day and see you don't get killed while you drink yourself into a coma. It's been a close thing these last couple nights."

He laughed, an unpleasant sound that was more growl than anything else. Yuffie hated that sound – all bitter iron and sharp regret. She winced, subtly, as it grated against her ears. No human being should ever make a sound like that.

"You got a personal interest in the matter, sweet cheeks?"

"Oh gawd no! You wish Turk." A lie, naturally, but Yuffie was so good at _that_ by now that Reno barely raised an eyebrow.

"Then beat it," he snorted, turning and continuing on his way. "I don't have time to babysit."

Yuffie bristled. She _wasn't_ a kid!

"Hey!" she called, running to catch up. "I know the call of a luke-warm beer is like, a siren song or something, but you could at least take the time to _thank_ me you ungrateful douche!"

"Thank you for what, pee-wee? Stalking isn't something most people are glad for."

Yuffie gave him a venomous glare. "If it wasn't for me, you'd have drowned in your own vomit by now."

"No one asked you to interfere, princess."

"Ungrateful..." Yuffie grumbled, still following close behind the Turk, who seemed to have chosen to ignore her for the time being. It didn't surprise her – this was becoming a familiar game of theirs.

They trawled three or four bars in quick succession, each receiving no more than an hour or so of Reno's ever slipping attention span, and for the most part Yuffie managed to keep him out of trouble. Most of the bar patrons didn't bother to question her about her age – those that did quickly learned the value of keeping their noses out of other people's business. By the time midnight arrived, Reno was totally soused, and Yuffie was practically carrying him across town. It was funny really – somehow she hadn't expected a Turk, one of the most feared groups in the world, even with the Shinra empire in tatters, to be such a lightweight. Then again, the 'special' two bars ago had been strong enough that Yuffie had felt herself getting tipsy off the fumes.

"Where 's nex' bar?" Reno slurred, leaning heavily on her shoulder as he dragged his feet behind him.

"I think that's enough bars for now, don't you?" she sighed, hauling him in the direction of his apartment. "You can barely walk, and you smell like... Well, let's just say you don't smell great, 'kay?"

Reno jolted in her grip, and for a second Yuffie thought he'd tripped and was about to fall. He made a weird sound, a kind of choked cry, and then a wet slosh reached her ears even as the acidic stench of alcohol and stomach bile reached her nostrils.

"Awww _man_! These are my good boots Reno!"

"Di'n' ask... f'r y' help," Reno wheezed incoherently. She almost didn't catch it. She almost didn't care.

"Ugh. You jerk. You _so_ owe me some new shoes dude."

They stumbled the rest of the way to his place, making slow progress on account of Reno's rebelling immune system, which had obviously decided to evacuate the copious amounts of alcohol from it's domain before it had a chance to reach the liver and make it spontaneously combust. Tripping over the threshold, boots looking cleaner after having been washed in a puddle – even if the smell gave away their gross mistreatment – Yuffie deposited Reno on the couch and quickly set about her routine.

It had been months since she'd first dragged Reno's booze-drenched carcass back here, and by now she'd gotten the hang of the steps. She set the kettle to boil, and filled the basin in the kitchen sink with cold tap water. She found a face cloth easily enough – it was exactly where she'd left it the last time – and though she was far from what anyone would call a chef, she managed to throw a meagre sandwich on cold meat together form the sparse ingredients lying about Reno's fridge and cupboards. Returning to the semi-conscious Turk, Yuffie knelt beside him and set to work.

Everything had to be done in a certain order she'd found. Each step had it's place, and one wrong move would result in projectile vomit the likes of which scarcely followed the laws of physics. She soaked the face cloth in the basin of cold water and squeezed out the excess before slapping it across his face, dabbing at his eyes and wiping the sweat and grime and traces of sick away. When his face was somewhat clean, she re-wet the cloth and folded it carefully on his forehead.

Next she picked up the steaming cup of freshly boiled water. She'd been fool enough to try him with tea the first time round, but experience had taught her that any kind of flavour made his unforgiving stomach complain in some pretty awful ways. His eyes were open of course – they always were by this stage – and he studied her with a faraway, curious kind of expression. He accepted the water, because he too had learned something from their little trysts – Yuffie doesn't take 'no' for an answer.

When he was about half finished his cup of water, Yuffie offered him the sandwich, which he took with a grimace. They sat in absolute silence, and contrary to her natural character, Yuffie did nothing to upset it. This was perhaps the most delicate stage in their game – she had to wait, she knew, for him to break the silence first. Otherwise he'd tune out on her and she'd have to wait till next time. It didn't matter how long she had to wait – the longer it took, the better the reward.

"Why d'you do it?" he asked suddenly, startling Yuffie out of her reverie. "Why even bother?"

She tried to think fast; which was better, the whole truth or a less-true version of it?

"Because I'm that nice, Turkey. Helping people and stuff is what I live for."

He raised an eyebrow. Or at least, Yuffie thought he did – he might have been wincing from the beginnings of a hangover.

"And there's no one better out there to help?" His skepticism was obvious, even without the added effect of his narrow-eyed frown.

"You know what? You're a mean drunk!" Yuffie huffed, crossing her arms across her mostly flat chest. She was deliberately avoiding the subject. She knew it, and the look in his green-blue eyes said he knew it too.

Luckily, she didn't care about keeping up appearances – not here, not now. That wasn't what their contests were about. It was like an unwritten rule; no hiding allowed. Being a ninja, Yuffie had, of course, found a loophole – she wouldn't lie, but she could be as evasive as she wanted. And unless Reno asked a direct question, and asked it with authority, she didn't have to reveal a thing.

"And you're a pest," the Turk retorted, sitting up slowly, carefully, acting like he was made of glass and might shatter at any second. Yuffie had played with him long enough to know that it wasn't just the after-effects of the alcohol either. This was Reno at his weakest, at his most vulnerable. This was what she worked so hard to achieve every other night.

And yet... Something was different tonight. Yuffie could feel it keenly, like a blade pressed at the base of her spine. Maybe it was the clever glint in his eyes, the altogether too conscious stare he levelled at her. Maybe it was the unusual determined set to his jaw. Whatever it was, Reno was more on the ball than usual, no doubt about it. The realisation sent a shiver crawling across Yuffie's skin. She might actually lose this round.

"I know Cloud and those other losers have warned you off me," he said conversationally, though his head dropped heavily into his palms as if he just couldn't hold it up anymore. "They've been on my case for weeks." He chuckled lowly, casting a glance at her through his fingers. "Tifa even said something about beating me within an inch of my life if I – ah – _sullied your virtue_. So, why don't you tell me what this is all about?"

Yuffie pouted defiantly, violently fighting the heat she felt rising to her cheeks. She shouldn't have been surprised – her friends were well-known meddlers after all.

"I told you – I'm just a good person, doing a good deed. Why does everyone always suspect ulterior motives with me, huh?"

"Maybe 'cause you're about as trustworthy as I am?" he muttered, running a hand through his sweaty locks. He looked her right in the eyes then, and Yuffie almost gulped. Yep – there was definitely too much awareness there for her liking. "I want to know the truth, brat. Why are you suddenly so interested in me?"

Yuffie sighed. She'd hoped this day wouldn't come for at least another few weeks. She wasn't sure she'd had enough time to work on him yet. What if her answer permanently broke him? But no, she couldn't think like that. If he cared enough to ask, surely that meant he was ready?

"You _really _wanna know, Turkey?"

His only reply was a grunt.

"Gee, try not to explode," she grumbled.

She thought on it carefully for a moment, trying to determine how to phrase her reply. But Yuffie had never been very tactful and so in the end she settled for the plain truth.

"The reason I help you – even though you _totally_ don't deserve it for being so rude to me all the time – is because I believe you're a good person who deserves to be helped. And _don't_," she held up a hand for silence, warding off his protests before he could make them, "tell me I'm wrong, Reno. I may be younger than everyone but I'm not a kid and I'm sure as hell not stupid."

Reno blinked dumbly, his jaw slack with surprise. Whatever he'd expected, that hadn't been it. Yuffie began to feel quite uncomfortable under his intense scrutiny, but she valiantly ignored it and glared back, pretending to a confidence she didn't feel.

Eventually – after minutes or hours, Yuffie couldn't tell – he let out a small laugh, and the tension in the room faded. Yuffie smiled a little, crookedly, glad that his laughter had lost at least a little of it's angst.

"A good person, huh? Kid, you don't have a clue what you're talking about." His smirk was only a little bitter, and Yuffie supposed it was better that than the alternative – better for him to mock her than to flat out deny it. She supposed he wanted to believe her – somewhere under all that booze, he _wanted_ to be helped. Yuffie silently congratulated herself. It would seem she'd done enough to make him at least consider the suggestion, if not openly embrace it.

"I do too, Turkey!" she exclaimed, sticking her tongue out playfully. "I mean yeah, you've done some seriously horrible stuff... But you've done good stuff too. You helped save the kids from those," she shuddered, remembering Vincent's explanation about the Remnants, "_insect_ guys. And hey, I know you've been doing a lot for Rufus to help the WRO – you've even been doing _overtime!_" She said 'overtime' like it was something heroic, and to the young ninja it _was_. Why anyone would exert themselves to do above and beyond their required duty was something she would _never_ understand.

Reno eyed her suspiciously. "How do you know about that?"

"Ah... that is... um... lucky guess?" she grinned, swallowing nervously. She hadn't meant to reveal the extent of her project to him. Reno just shook his head.

"You really are a stalker."

"Am not! Anyway... I know no one else believes me. Not even you. But I honestly think you're worth saving. The planet's still recovering, and it needs all the help it can get. It needs people like the Turks to fight for it. You know – people who know the whole story? You'd be so much more valuable sober and angst-free." Yuffie picked at her nails, suddenly not brave enough to look at Reno head on anymore.

She looked up at the sound of him falling back onto the couch, only to see him turn away from her before she could get a proper look at his face. She stayed where she was, waiting for... Well she wasn't sure what. But she knew their game wasn't over yet. Neither of them had admitted defeat, neither of them had given any ground, and Yuffie wasn't happy to leave it at a draw.

At last, just as she was contemplating poking him in the ribs, Reno spoke, his voice tired and bleak but receptive.

"I think you must be fucked up to think I deserve anything more than a bullet between the eyes. But I suppose if you can spout all that crap... not to mention willingly clean up my puke practically every night just to prove a point... You must really believe it, huh?"

Yuffie was elated. It wasn't exactly a pledge to join the AA or anything, but it was as close to a cry for help as Reno was likely to give. And she'd take it without complaining, because it was a huge step in the right direction.

"I do, Reno. More than anything," she confirmed earnestly.

He snorted. "Well, then I guess I have no choice. If it'll stop you from stalking me... We can talk in the mornin', when my head's stopped spinning."

The ninja leapt up, ecstatic, and proceeded to do a little victory dance. She'd won! She'd done it! She was one step closer to proving to everyone that she was a lot smarter than they gave her credit for – and when she found the diamond beneath Reno's hard, rocky exterior, she was _so _gonna rub it in all their faces!

"Oh Turkey, you won't regret it! I swear, you'll see what I see some day, and you'll thank me until your head explodes with gratitude!" Without thinking, Yuffie descended on his prone form and, in her joy, planted a happy kiss on his cheek. Not even the stench of stale vomit dampened her spirits.

Then, like a whirlwind, she let herself out of his apartment via the window. Flitting across the roofs, she let out a joyous squeal, hardly caring when a disgruntled resident swore out the window at her. She couldn't wait to tell all her friends. Especially Cloud – the second she got to Tifa's bar, she was gonna serve him up a big, steaming plate of 'I told you so'.

No matter what anyone said, there _was_ something in Reno worth saving. A treasure waiting to be discovered.

And she was going to find it.

After all, she was a natural-born treasure hunter!


End file.
